Apprentice Innovation Challenge 2016

Over the last nine months eight teams have been working on their designs for this years' Apprentice Innovation challenge. On 12 January the teams showcased their designs at the Royal Academy of Engineering

Apprentice Innovation Challen...

This year, eight teams representing six of BAE Systems' UK businesses entered the challenge to solve one of two problems set by the charity Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Both challenges focus on aiding the recovery of military personnel.

The first challenge was to design 'The Grabber' to help wheelchair or bed-ridden users achieve more independence in day-to-day activities, like picking up small items or pulling up socks.

The second challenge was to design the 'wheelchair load-carrying system' by providing a solution to enable wheelchair users to carry personal objects and medical items about with them in a safe and practical way.

This week the teams showcased their products and faced a panel of judges. Each team had twenty minutes to demonstrate how their skill-set, resources and teamwork had made a difference and how their product could directly help the clinical services that the charity offers to nearly 800, 000 patients a year.

The Apprentice Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for apprentices to develop their engineering skills, as well as improve in areas such as teamwork, negotiation, leadership and project management. Since 2001 the challenge has taken place every two years and many of the apprentices who took part have used their experience to boost their careers by being fast-tracked into management and pursuing higher education.